Ambush Bay Reviews

• Ambush Bay, Bad Title, good movie

  
  By A2DYGO40HTQBMQ on 2005-06-02
  I am driven in part to write a quick review based on the errors mentioned by the other review (Cressy, below).
  
  First, the movie was good, but still Hollywood, when it comes to portraying actual combat.
  
  Second, Hugh O'Brian's character may come across to a civilian like a "superhero" because he actually was a Marine! He knew the part he played from experience, not just as an actor.
  
  Three, the previous reviewer knows nothing about the Marine Corps or its history. Baseball caps were common in the pacific, especially during the early years of the war and especially with air crews. The choice was that or a garrison cap (if you have to look that up, do so) or a helmet. It was not until later in the war that the soft cover came out, which, as I recall, was what Hugh O'Brian and Mickey Rooney and the other "Marines" wore.
  
  Fourth, the "rubbery, funky camouflage uniforms" are not "rubbery" at all, but were real. I still have one.
  
  Fifth, it goes to show that civilians should not be allowed to review military movies, for the obvious reasons.
  
  

• Fair Film Gets a Pretty Good Bargain-Priced DVD treatment

  
  By A3CJE9CW4TNW7P on 2005-04-27
  This review is directly from my website (www.angelfire.com/film/eurowar)
  
  CONCERNING THE DVD:
  Yet another of several budget MGM releases of classic war films(including "Battle of Britain", "Beach Red" and "Zulu" not to mention several others). The disc offers a "letterbox" version on one side and a full-frame version on the other. The film was shot full-frame, then matted for widescreen theaters, so the letterbox version adds nothing to the sides and simply masks off a good deal of the top and bottom of the image. The full-screen version is preferable. The video elements have been digitally restored and look great. There is no visible print damage, colors are bright and accurate and the image is sharp and clear.
  
  The disc contains a basic 2.0 Mono track which sounds great. This isn't an effects-laden movie so a 5.1 Surround Sound track or anything of that nature would have been out of the question; this sounds like the original mix was just cleaned up.
  
  For extras, we get a theatrical trailer, the usual subtitles, a Spanish audio track and 16 chapter selections.
  
  CONCERNING THE FILM:
  
  "Ambush Bay" is the poster-child of how to make a World War II film based solely on clichés. This said, the result is a very entertaining but always paper-thin look at espionage in the Pacific Theater.
  
  Four days before General MacArthur's invasion fleet is slated to return to the Philippines, a squad of Marines is dropped on Mindanao with a risky assignment: penetrate enemy-held territory and contact a spy named Miyazaki who operates out of a heavily-guarded Japanese rest camp. They spy has information vital to MacArthur's intelligence department. The Marines are all experts in the field of killing, except for Pfc. Grenier (Jim Mitchum, "Leathernecks"), a PBY radio man who was assigned to the team at the last minute when the original radio operator got sick. Grenier doesn't hit it off with the veterans, especially the macho Sgt. Corey (Hugh O'Brian, "In Harm's Way") who winds up in charge of the mission when the Captain (Clem Stadler) becomes a casualty.
  
  The piece is cliché-ridden from start to finish - in what movie have we not seen the characters, setting or mission before? Ron Winston handles every bit of this nonsense seriously - so seriously, in fact, that despite the flaws, it's very easy to enjoy this movie, even in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. O'Brian gives a passionate performance, even if his character is anything but original and personal. His Sergeant is virtually a superhero, as Sgt. Wartell (Mickey Rooney!) reveals to Grenier by describing a series of Corey's early battle exploits on Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Rooney looks to be thoroughly enjoying himself as he scales cliffs and mows down Japanese infantry by the dozen, although he looks way too old and simultaneously boyish to be a believable career marine.
  
  Although he gets third billing, Mitchum's is the most developed and believable character. He's a person any viewer can relate to: thrown into a situation beyond his control, Grenier is forced to adapt to ever-changing conditions - and fast - because his life may depend on it. He wants to do his job well, but doesn't have any natural talent, and therefore his peers look down on him with utter contempt. His performance never strikes a false note, and he even gets to lapse into some voice-overs to keep things fresh.
  
  The on-location photography is stunning from beginning to end. Had this film not been shot in the Philippines, any credibility would have been totally lost. The exteriors are appropriately lush and beautiful. Winston and cinematographer Emmanuel L. Rojas don't just take us into the steamy jungles; we get to venture into rice patties, across streams and down rushing, crystal clear blue rivers. I absolutely hate it when producers try to make ridiculous locations like North American forests ("The Green Berets") or rocky plains of Spain ("The Thin Red Line") pass for Asian or South Pacific jungles. The technique just doesn't work. Kudos to Winston for choosing to shoot this film in the actual locations it is said to have occurred at.
  
  Although the movie runs nearly 2 hours, the time flies by. The pace is kept fluid in two ways. The characters are constantly on the go. The only reason they stop is rest, and we're treated to discussion revealing something of their character. For example, we don't get to know Corey as a person until late in the film when he develops a relationship with Tisa Chang's character. When the men aren't hiking or resting, they're engaged in some sort of combat with the enemy - patrols, tanks and indigenous cannibals constantly hamper their progress. Winston doesn't dwell on the supporting cast at all: most of them are non-essential characters that he kills off in a few early encounters with the enemy. We constantly ask ourselves "Who is going to get killed next?" This curiosity keeps us engaged right up until the climactic battle inside a fortified Japanese radio installation.
  
  All of that said, it's necessary to point out several technical flaws which make the proceedings difficult to take seriously. The members of the squad are introduced as crack masters in the art of warfare, but by the half-way point, almost all of them have been killed by your average Japanese draftee - and usually for stupid reasons. The special effects are very below par, even for a low-budget film from 1966. One encounter with a Japanese tank is packed with some most ridiculous elements - including two of the least believable explosions ever caught on film. (It's also impossible to overlook the fact that later on in the film, Corey, Grenier and Miyazaki take a breather at the exact same outdoor location that the Marines were engaged in a firefight near the beginning of the movie). The ridiculous baseball-style caps look like something a Green Beret or Navy SEAL might have worn in the 1960s, but are totally out of place in a World War II movie. Wartell's encounter with a Japanese patrol involving "Baked potatoes" has got to be one of the corniest "stupid typical bad guy" scenes ever. And, finally, when the movie reaches its climax - first of all, how lucky can our heroes get? The way they manage to break into the Japanese fortress is unbelievable, and the amount of bullets Corey takes while blasting at hordes of enemy troops with a machine gun is ludicrous.
  
  Perhaps it's the unbelievable, overstated corny parts of "Ambush Bay" that make it such an entertaining film; or maybe it's more serious, sincere performances of Mitchum and O'Brian that make it stand out from the deluge of "jungle patrol" stories out there. Whatever the reason, it's thoroughly enjoyable has been a perennial favorite of mine since the days of the now-forgotten TNT Memorial Day Marathons. Now that it's available on DVD, a whole new audience may have opened up.
  
  *NEW AS OF 2/20*
  another reviewer wrote a review simply in an upset response to my comments, stating
  
  "...Three, the previous reviewer knows nothing about the Marine Corps or its history. Baseball caps were common in the pacific, especially during the early years of the war and especially with air crews. The choice was that or a garrison cap (if you have to look that up, do so) or a helmet. It was not until later in the war that the soft cover came out, which, as I recall, was what Hugh O'Brian and Mickey Rooney and the other "Marines" wore. ..."
  
  Please do not take issue with my reviews. If you wanna review the movie, do so. Don't review another critic. Your facts defending your attack on my review aren't even legitimate. The characters in the film are not air crews, they are more like special ops guys. They're first-class Marines, not guys working on air planes. If the choice was a garrison cap or helmet, the guys in the movie should have been wearing those rather than bright red and bright blue baseball caps which can be seen from far away by the enemy.
  
  This is why reviewers need to stop using the review option to bicker and need to start using it just to review a movie.
  
  
  

• Scenes are missing

  
  By A298P77F2GORJK on 2006-01-09
  This video is a disappointment. The editors at MGM Home Entertainment decided to delete some scenes from this film. Specifically, some scenes featuring the lovely Tisa Chang are not on this DVD. When watching a film for free on TV, you expect some scenes to go missing to make room for commercials. But when you actually pay for a film, you expect to get the whole thing. Unfortunately this is not the case with MGM products.
  
  I remember watching this movie 30+ years ago and being enthralled by Ms Chang and her wonderfully-fitting slacks. I waited decades for this film to become available on video. What a disappointment to finally be able to get the video only to find that some of the most interesting scenes have been left out.
  
  

• Fun movie with some great action scenes.

  
  By A14VQ55F6O49C1 on 2006-02-20
  Do not expect a masterpiece with Ambush Bay. Expect to have some fun and enjoy this "covert" action film. A team of Marine Raiders (Marines that were actually issued full camouflage uniforms in WW2) are sent to a Japanese held island to try and remote-detonate some mines that are blocking our ships at sea. The mission goes bad early on and the Marines start dying one by one. The shootouts are exciting and there is a fair amount of blood for a 60's film. To the reviewer who commented about the uniforms- by the early 40's, some Marines fighting in the Pacific were issued a reversible camouflage uniform that had light sandy camo on one side (for a beach invasion) and green jungle camo on the other (for jungle fighting). The guys in this film wear only the beach side for some reason. The hats are authentic for the 40's. Soft caps were common once troops were out of a combat zone. In fact even today, special forces covert units prefer "boonie" hats over helmets. This is a movie I would have LOVED as a kid. As an adult, I enjoy it and have watched it 3 times now.
  
  

• walk into this ambush

  
  By A1MK02HC440QT8 on 2005-12-20
  this is a good war movie,not great, but good. give it a try.
  
  
• The men who made "I shall return" happen
  By AK61LQI92GTCH on 2006-09-27
  "Suddenly the screen steps on a minefield." That line was heard on the trailer to AMBUSH BAY, and I'm still not sure what it means. I can picture someone stepping on a single mine, even just about wrap my head around a screen stepping on a mine, but a whole minefield is beyond me. Whatever, it sounds impressive, in a confusing sort of way. The movie itself is a pleasant little invention about a small group of Marines infiltrating deep into a Japanese-held island on a mission vital to the success of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's impending invasion. The unit includes 1st Sgt. Hugh O'Brian, Gunnery Sgt. Mickey Rooney, green Pfc. James Mitchum, and a handful of bullet fodder bit players. Of course the island is crawling with the enemy, the men have to make a quick penetration deep into the country, and the only one who seems to know what the mission is Sgt. O'Brian. And he don't talk much, especially to the slow-to-be-accepted wiseacre Mitchum.
  
  My expectations were really, really low for this one. A b-movie cast, probably low production values, a less-than-stunning premise. The movie doesn't look like it broke the bank on cast or special effects or a hot script, but it holds its own. O'Brian - who was a real life Marine drill sergeant - is appropriately flinty as the tough-as-nails Marine, Rooney acceptable as the courageous gunnery sargeant, and James Mitchum sure looks an awful lot like his old man Robert. The story is told through Mitchum's eyes and the movie takes a long time clueing him - and us - in on what the mission is. It's a coy ploy that's not really necessary, but I'll keep the secret. In one sense AMBUSH BAY is more realistic, or at least easier to accept, than many of today's WWII flicks. The soldiers aren't a mutually supportive band of brothers or averse to behaving less than heroically. My favorite line, growled by O'Brian to Mitchum, "Stay away from things that you've never done, like thinking," is clumsy and crude but something Generation Greatest wouldn't be caught dead saying in a modern movie. The movie was shot in the Philippines and, while that may have been a cost-savings move on the part of the producers, in looks pretty authentic.
  
  Look, AMBUSH BAY was probably a first feature at a drive-in theater when it was released in 1966. If you don't like old war movies you won't like this movie - if you do, it offers a little more than you'd expect from a mid-`60s war flick whose second lead is Mickey Rooney.
  
  
  
• Decent WWII Action Fiction
  By A3MAZM138KFVOW on 2007-02-11
  "Ambush Bay" is a decent feature with an interesting plot, but viewers need to temper their expectations. It's a fictional World War II action drama about a Marine Corps reconnaissance team dispatched to the Japanese-occupied Island of Siargao in support of a pending U.S. amphibious invasion. Their mission is to link up with a Japanese-American woman and radio back intelligence information she has on a coastal bay to be used for the assault. The reconnaissance turns into a raid after they find an elaborate minefield in the bay that threatens disaster for the invasion force, and are unable to warn higher headquarters when their radio is destroyed in action.
  
  The plot is interesting and the movie has a good cast with Hugh O'Brian as First Sergeant Corey, Mickey Rooney as Gunnery Sergeant Wartell and James Mitchum as Private Grenier. Mitchum's character is an airman radio operator assigned to the Marine team, being the odd man among a team of highly trained recon Marines, and serves as the audience's observer and narrator for the story. While there are other Marines on the team, O'Brian's character takes the lead early after their commander is killed and Rooney gives balance as a career soldier who doesn't take himself too seriously.
  
  While the movie has a good story, it's a modest production. Action receives priority over tactical logic as the recon team stumbles across Japanese units, resulting in several firefights that whittle the team down to the main characters. O'Brian overdoes his macho persona and Mitchum's character is a bit contrived as an airman ill-suited for such a high-risk mission. While the movie boasts on-location filming in the Philippines, the casting of Filipino actors as Japanese soldiers and the use of a contemporary military base for the climatic sequence waters down the authentic environment. As well, the actors move like they're on a nature hike rather than a trained Marine team behind enemy lines. The music soundtrack is okay, but sounds akin to "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) with a melodramatic tone.
  
  It's a good "B" movie for light-hearted action entertainment. The DVD's imagery and sound are good.
  
  
• Ambush Bay
  By AAT3MKCEII1MN on 2005-09-17
  I have not seen the movie. This was a gift that was shipped to a different address.
  
  
• a fun little war movie
  By A1KP0IVWU0RQ0A on 2006-06-02
  i remember watching this one as a kid and i liked it then,and i still like it!
  marines go behind jap lines and try to take out a radio base. not great but it's goofy fun,give it a try!
  
  
• Understated
  By A1DMQDQW2JDVFK on 2007-03-08
  I enjoyed this movie very much. True it's not a classic war film but it stands out among the run-of-the-mill TV type of fare. The ending was curiously muted but it made the film raise itself a few notches. The weaponry was accurate (although I doubt the silencers used on both pistol and carbine were WW2 issue) and the uniforms tally with the photographs I have seen of USMC reconnaisance units. Definitely Hugh O'Brian's best work.
  
  
• One of the finest Pacific Theater WW II films!
  By A1BA72K4VK1UN1 on 2008-01-27
  Hollywood simply did not make enough of these great color, letterbox format, Pacific Theater, WW II films! Director Ron Winston did a fine job with this one which is one of the best I've seen.
  
  A young James Mitchum, (talented brother of Robert and John Mitchum), holds the starring role here over Hugh O'Brian and Mickey Rooney. Mitchum plays Private Grenier, a smart-aleck rookie U.S. Marine who has gotten himself shanghaied into a top secret special operation in the Phillipines during the Japanese occcupation. All the other marines, about a dozen of them, are highly-trained and experienced specialists in their respective fields. Mitchum, the radio guy, was grudgingly brought along as a last-minute replacement for the regular top communications specialist who came down with illness just prior to this imperative guerilla operation.
  
  They are secreted to the island by float-plane at night. Soon after entering the jungle, the Captain of the operation is killed during a desperate scuffle with some Japanese soldiers at their campfire. Hugh O'Brian, playing the Lieutenant, takes over command and he doesn't much like Mitchum, viewing the Private as trivial and immature. Mitchum is eventually told the purpose of the operation: A Phillipine guide will take them across the jungle island to the Japanese base where their contact person, a covert Allied agent, will provide information that is critical to MacArthur's immanent Allied re-invasion of the Phillipines. Thus, it will eventually fall on Mitchum, the most important member of the team in terms of duty, to convey this critical intelligence by radio.
  
  In yet another early confrontation with a small platoon of Japanese infantry, who are also equipped with a very cool little army tank, more Marines are killed and this also sets the Japanese hot on their trail through the jungle. Just before their destination is reached the Marine's native guide, the only person who knew who the identity of the contact agent, is killed -- Hugh O'Brian is forced to sneak into the Japanese-infested village and ferret out the contact agent at great risk. I'll have to stop here to avoid a SPOILER!
  
  One of the best features of this movie is the superb filmscore, composed and conducted by Richard LaSalle. It's one of those atmospheric sixty-ish scores reminiscent of those fine soundtracks previously conveyed by Hugo Friedhofer and Les Baxter. It really adds to the suspense and to the ambiance of this fine film.
  
  The abundance of tropical flora, great locations and sets, the super cinematography, and, the great casting additionally support the superb quality of the movie. Compare this film to yet another of these singular film treasures:
  
  Never So Few
  
  It's all really just first-class. If you enjoy World War II films, especially those concerning the Pacific Theater, you'll love this terrific 1966 entry. My highest recommendation!
  
  
• Minor but Still Captivating
  By A1GS2EXQFPJH6 on 2007-01-23
  Good performances and suspenseful action sequences highlight this low key WWII film about a small group of Marines sent on a special mission on a Japanese occupied island. There is a certain charm about this film and I believe it comes from the performances from the three main characters. Hugh O'Brian's stoic demeanor is very credible and he has you guessing all the time about just what makes him tick. James Mitchum pulled from his regular duties and attached to this team is generally perplexed and left in the dark. This film is told from Mitchum's point of view and he reflects the curiosity of the viewer. Mickey Rooney represents a balance and some semblance of reason between military expedience and human rationality of the actions and characters in the film. Though it may be minor this film never fails to hold your interest and has always been very captivating.
  
  
  
• Don't waste your time!!!
  By A32349G5K7VNCA on 2007-02-03
  Lucky for me, I saw this movie on TV and did not waste my money on buying it. I my opinion, this is one of the worst WWII movies that I have ever seen. It would be a lot easier to list the good points of the movie however, there are none. Its a very bad "B" war movie; the acting is really bad, blood looks like red paint, soldiers make stupid moves & of course get killed, the Japanese use American tanks, very bad music that plays in the background, etc. Basically, it is a very cheap movie and it shows right from the beginning. I'm not sure what movie was worse; Ambush Bay or Anzio!!
  
  If you want to see good WWII movies, then watch: 12 o'clock High, Sink The Bismark, Objective Burma, They Were Expendable, Battleground, Wing And A Prayer, Battle of Britain, The Train, Run Silent Run Deep, Das Boat,The Great Escape, Saving Private Ryan, Band Of Brothers, Where Eagles Dare, The Longest Day.
  
  
• Entertaining, if somewhat cliched, WWII adventure
  By A2Q13PHEXGR48Q on 2007-03-22
  Ambush Bay is an entertaining WWII action movie that uses too many war movie cliches, but overall doesn't take away the enjoyment of an exciting movie. In October 1944, a specialist team of Marines lands in the Phillipines to complete a mission, meeting a source that has some key information, that could play a big part in the retaking of the islands. Among the nine-man team is a inexperienced radio man, Grenier, who was a last minute replacement and is not quite sure why he had to come along. While trekking through the jungle, Grenier must try and fit in without having the team turn on him. But as the team of Marines travels across the island, they find themselves battling the Japanese every step of the way, and their numbers begin to dwindle. The story isn't groundbreaking, and it doesn't need to be, the movie moves at a lightning quick pace and there is action around every corner. At times, the characters are nothing more than stereotypes, but you don't even notice, the action moves too quickly. Non-stop fun throughout with plenty of action and excitement.
  
  With a script that focuses on three main characters, Hugh O'Brian plays the lead, Sgt. Steve Corey, a tough-as-nails veteran who finds himself in command after the mission leader is killed early on. O'Brian brings a hard-edged touch to the role as the no-nonsense leader. Mickey Rooney seems to be having a great time as Gunnery Sgt. Ernie Wartell, O'Brian right hand man who seems to be the only one trying to help Private Grenier, the inexperienced radioman. Grenier is played by James Mitchum, and though he might not have the acting chops his father Robert did, James is pretty good in the part. Grenier narrates the film so as a viewer I found myself feeling for him and this very dangerous, confusing situation he finds himself in. The rest of the nine-man team is given little to do in the way of lines, but they don't stick around long. Tisa Chang plays Miyazaki, the spy in the Phillipines who has some key information that could save the invasion by MacArthur that finds herself attractive to O'Brian's Sgt. Corey. The DVD has a nice-looking widescreen presentation, the movie was filmed on location in the Phillipines and really benefits from it, and a theatrical trailer. Overall, an exciting, action-packed WWII movie in the Pacific with good performances from its three main leads. Give Ambush Bay a try!
  
  
• Ambush Bay -- not art
  By A1Q32DM6IRZA2V on 2007-03-13
  Ambush Bay is not art. It is not entertainment. It is not even interesting. Ambush Bay is without a doubt one of the worst WWII movies ever produced. The best part of this movie is Robert Mitchum's red cap, worn while he is in the Philippine jungle hiding from Japanese soldiers. Red cap.... Why not wear universal orange?
  
  I've seen the movie twice. Once with the sound on. It was awful. I watched it again, with the sound off. It was better this second time. It had the feel, without sound, of an ok comedy. With the sound it was pathetic.
  
  Don't both buying it. Spend your money on something more useful or entertaining.
  
  
  
  

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